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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. W. NETHERY.

y STRAW STAGKER. No. 519,680. Patented May 8, 1894.

3 u Mil (No Model.) 4 sheetssheet 2.

" J. W. NETHERY.

STRAW STAGKER.

No. 519,680. Patented May 8,1894,

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. W. NET.HERY.- 4

STRAW STAOKER.

No. 519,680. Patented May 8,- 1894.

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J. W. NETHERY.

STRAW STAGKBR.

No. 519,680. Patented Ma 8, 1894.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. NETI-IERY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE INDIANA MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STRAW-STACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,680, dated May 8, 1894.

Application filed November-'12, 1892- Serial No. 451,833. (No model.)

it consists in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts whereby this work is accomplished, all as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which are made a part hereof, and on which similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1. is a part side elevation of a thrashing machine showing my apparatus attached thereto. Fig. 2. is an enlarged detail view of the base or turn-table of the chute. Fig. 3. is a sectional view of the same. Fig. 4. is a detail view of the worm gearing for rotating the wedge piece for elevating the chute. Fig. 5. is a sectional detail view" of the joint of the chute. Fig. 6: is a part sectional side elevation of the rear end of .a thrashing machine showing that portion to which the chute and fan or blower are applied. Fig. 7. is a sectional plan view of the same. Fig. 8. is a sectional view of the delivery end of the chute showing the deflecting slats pushed out their fullest extent. Fig. 9. is a similar view showing the deflecting slats moved partially up. Fig. 10. represents detail views of the holding down caster or roller of the turn-table- Fig. 11. represents detail views of the supporting caster of the turn-table of the base of the chute, and Fig. 12. represents detail elevation and plan viewsof the counterbalance spring of the chute.

The rear of the thrashing machine has its sides, top, and bottom sills 1 and 2 prolonged backwardly a suitable extent and bracedby means of the inclined struts 3.-for the purpose of supporting, the more firmly, the straw elevating apparatus and the mechanism for operating it, and has its ends inclosed from the exterior atmosphere by a suitable casing 4:.

The fan or blower 5. may he of any approved form secured on the machine at its rear end journals 6. adapted to rotate'in its bearings 7. secured on the side sills 2. said fan driven by a pulley on the main-shaft of the thrashing machine, (not shown in the drawings.) The fan 5. has its mouth 8 projecting into the interior of the end chamber of the thrashing machine and almost centrally with the base opening of the chute 9. hereinafter described.

The mouth of the fan 5 is provided with the adjustable plate 10. adjustably secured on the sides of the fan and is provided for the purpose of adjusting the angle of upward deflection of the blast from the blower into the base of the chute, and 11, are deflecting plates pivotally and adjustably secured on the casing of the machine in front of the mouth of the fan 5. and near the sides thereof by the binding bolts 12. by which they are clamped and held in any desirable position to control the .angle of deflection of the air from the mouth'of the fan in a sidewise direction thus by means of the plate 10, and the deflecting plates 11. the cross sectional area of amplitude of the volume of air and itsv density or pressure are readily controlled and regulated to an accuracy to more thorsuitable top and bottom rollers 14.. driven by a belt attached to any suitable driving pulley of the thrashing machine and with its top roller 14:. slightly above or in advance of the mouth 8. of the fan for the purpose of delivering the straw, chaff and other refuse directly into the blast or air current.

The base or turn-table 15. of the chute is provided with the worm wheel 16. andis held in position and prevented from tilting by means of the top, and bottom rollers 17. and 18. working in suitable grooves formed in the top and bottom surfaces of said worm wheel and journaled in, suitable supporting bearings 19. and 20. securedto' the wood-work of the machine. The base/ 15. is rotated by means of the worm l9. meshing with its worm. wheel 16. said worm journaled in the or under it, in any suitable manner, with its oughly exhaust the straw, chaff and refuse, 'discharged from the thrashing machine. I?

provide the endless apron13. working-on."

bearings 21. secured on the machine and rotated manually by the crank handle 22. The wedge formed piece 23. between the chute 9. and the base 15. is jointed to each of said pieces by means of the tongue and groove joints 24. and 25. and wherein it is adapted to rotate (see particularly Figs. 2, 3, and 5), to raise and lower the inclination of the chute 9. as drawn in dotted lines in Fig. 1. On the outer edge of the joint flange 25. is formed the worm gear teeth 26. meshing with the worm 27. by which means the piece is rotated manually by the handle 28. thus as the wedge piece or union 23. is rotated to move its thicker or longer side 23. toward the base of the chute 9. the chute is proportionally elevated and said chute having attained its highest elevation when the portion 23. of the union has been rotated to its lowest position as shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines. The chute 9. is suspended at a point in its length coinciding with its center of gravity by means of the link 29. hinged or pivoted on the end of the sustaining lever 30. and to the suspension brace 31. surrounding and secured to the said chute. The weight of the chute is sustained and completely counterbalanced by the spiral spring 32. secured firmly on its shaft 33 journaled in its bearings or supporting jaw 34. and is held in tension and has its tension adjusted by means of the pawl 35. pivoted on the pin 36. and engaging the ratchet wheel 37 pivotally secured on the braces 38. of the base 15. for the purpose of permitting the chute 9. and the beam 30. to which said chute is suspended to swing horizontally and independent of the turn table 16. while the union piece 23. is rotated the alignment or direction of said chute with the body of the machine being adjusted by means of the worm 19. and its wheel formed on the base 15 of the turn-table 16. It is obvious that as the straw and other material are discharged from the thrashing machine to and on the endless apron 13. they are conveyed and delivered in front of the mouth 8. of the fan 5. and forced into the air current issuing therefrom by which they are at once carried and discharged into the base opening 9. of the chute. The current of air being confined in the chute is prevented from further expand ing and thereby retain sufficient energy and gives the weightier particles of refuse and straw sutficient impetus to discharge them with great force. The discharging end of the chute 9. has the bottom mouth or opening 39. formed in the bottom end thereof and is provided with the sliding deflecting slats 40. adapted to slide in their semi-circular ways 41. formed in the sides 12. of said chute and is provided for the purpose of deflectin g the material downwardly as it is discharged from the chute to the stack to pack or compress it compactly. These deflecting slats 40 together form what may be termed a flexible plate which is adapted to slide in the ways from a flat position on top of the chute to a position substantially occupying onefourth of a circle, as shown in Fig. 8, said slats of course being suitably connected together by any appropriate means.

Having thus fully described the nature and operation of my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to cover by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is

1. In a straw elevator, the combination with a thrashing machine having a conveyer chute attached to the end thereof and afan having its mouth opening directly opposite the base opening of said chute of an upper air regulating plate adjustably secured on the top. of said fan substantially as set forth. I

2. In a straw elevating machine, the combination, with a flthrashing machine having a rear air-tight chamber, and a conveyer chute attached to the said chamber, of a suitable blower or fan having its mouth or discharge end within said chamber and directly beneath the base opening of said chute, and suitable deflecting plates pivotally and adj ustably secured with said chamber and opposite the discharge mouth of saidblower, substantially as set forth.

3. In a straw elevating machine, the combination, with a thrashing machine having a rear air tight chamber and a conveyer chute attached to said chamber, of asuitable blower or fan having its mouth or discharge end within said chamber and directly beneath the base opening of said chute, of an air regulating plate adjustably secured 011 the top of the mouth of said fan and suitable air-deflecting plates pivotally and adjustably secured in said chamber and opposite the mouth of said fan, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination,in a'pneumatic straw elevator and stacker, of a thrashing machine having its rear end closed to form an air-tight chamber, a trunk or chute having its base end connecting with said chamber, ablast fan the casing whereof has its eyes or air-receiving openings communicating with the outer atmosphere and itsmouth or air-discharging opening within said air-tight chamber and arranged .to discharge into the base of said trunk or chute, the walls of said air-tight chamber being farthest apart at points alongside said fan casing and converging therefrom to a point in front of themouth or airdischarging opening in said casing, all substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, in a pneumatic straw elevator and stacker, with the base portion and tube portion of the trunk or chute, of an intermediate union piece having a longitudinal bend orcurve and a cylindrical transverse section, and means whereby said union piece may be rotated, whereby the outer end of the trunk or chute may be elevated or depressed, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in a pneumatic straw elevator and stacker, of a trunk orchute the outer end of which is adapted to be elevated and depressed, and a counterbalancing lever mounted at or near the lower end of said chute and the outer end of which is connected to said trunk or chute at a point toward its discharging end, whereby said trunk or chute is suspended, substantially as set forth.v

7. The combination, in a pneumatic straw elevator and stacker, of a raising and lowering trunk or chute attached to the machine, and a suitable counterbalancing lever pivotally secured at or near the base of said trunk or chute, and to the free end of which said trunk or chute is suspended, said lever being provided with means of adjustment, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, in a straw elevator and conveyor, of the base, a chute 'or trunk attached thereto, a spring mounted upon the base and attached to a lever, said lever also pivotally mounted on said base and secured to said spring at its lower end, with its other end extending out-and secured to said chute or trunk at a point between its base and outer end.

9. The combination,in a straw elevator and conveyor, of a base, a chute or trunk connected thereto and adapted to be raised and lowered, a spring mounted on said base, alever mounted on said spring at its lower end and attached to the raising and lowering chute at the other end, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring, whereby the weight of said chute will be counterbalanced at all angles of its inclination, substantially as set forth.

10. In a straw stacking machine, the combi-' nation, with a thrashing machine, of a pneumatic conveyor chute having opposite sides projecting beyond its end opening and a suitable fiexible plate, adapted to slide in ways formed on the inner side of said side pieces, substantially as set forth. l

11. In a straw stacking machine, the combination with a thrashing machine, of a pneumatic conveyer chute having opposite side pieces alongside the end opening of said chute, and having curvilinear ways formed on the inner sides of said side pieces, with the concavity of theircurves directed downwardly and a flexible piece adapted to slide in said ways, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination, in a pneumatic straw elevator and stacker, with the trunk or chute thereof, of a slidable deflector, and guides secured to the mouth of the trunk orchute and constraining the deflector to slide in a curve.

13. The combination, in a pneumatic straw elevator'and stacker, of the thrashing machine having its rear end closed to form an air-tight chamber, a trunk or chute secured upon the thrashing machine above and communicating with said chamber, a blast fan located below said trunk or chute and drawing its supply of air from the exterior of the machine, the mouth or discharging opening of the fan casing being positioned below and discharging into the rear side of said trunk or chute at its lower end, thus creating a draftblast in said trunk or chute underneath and in advance of the straw, the whole being constructed, arranged and operating substantially as shown and 'described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH w. NETHERY.

Witnesses:

THOMPSON R. BELL, J NO. Gno. THURTH. 

